Common Renovating Costs: Flooring

When a homeowner decides to get their floors done for a kitchen renovation, they really have no idea about the costs involved in such a project. Whether you are interested in doing wood, carpet, tile or any other material in between, below you will find an outline on how much the materials cost, how much other factors cost, as well as benefits of using these materials.

Wood Flooring

One of the nicest things about wood flooring is the simple fact that it can be re-sanded or re-stained over time. So if you have a hardwood flooring that gets stained, scuffed or even scratched, you can fix this every so often. However, just because you can fix it, doesn’t mean you want to have that responsibility! Wood flooring can get scratched and dented easily. Also, if you spill something, it needs to be cleaned up as soon as possible; now rather than later. If not, these stains can soak into the wood, and be there for years.

In most cases, hardwood flooring costs around the same as engineered and bamboo flooring – about $4 to $6 per square foot, just for the material alone. If you need to have it installed, then you would need to add on an additional $2 per square foot. If you need your old floors to be removed, then you would add on another $1 per square foot and if you need your sub floor fixed or replaced, this would cost another $2.00 per square foot. Add in an additional aesthetic option like varnish, stain or paint and this will cost an additional $2.50 per square foot. Overall, this can be one of the most expensive options, besides stone, because of all of the options available. That’s why a lot of times people will either slip the hardwood altogether or use an alternate wood-like laminate. Laminates cost a quarter of what hardwood flooring does, and in some cases, you can even install it on your own if its interlocking pieces!

Porcelain Tile Flooring

Porcelain tile can be used in any part throughout your house, but its increasingly popular in hallways, entryways, bathrooms and of course in kitchens. Its a really tough and durable material. It comes in almost every single color under the sun that you can think of, as well as different tile sizes, different shapes, and different finishes; honed or tumbled being the most popular because it keeps the tile from getting so slippery.

If you choose a straight lay, for a room that is 60 square foot, you are looking at anywhere between $350 to $595 for the labor and to have the tiles installed. Add in the actual cost of the materials – which will vary depending on the choices you want, the styles, the types and shapes of the tile, as well as the finishes, will be at around $230 to $508. In turn, the total cost for porcelain tile flooring will cost anywhere between $582 for the entire 60 square foot to $1100. This turns out to be $9.72 per square foot on the low or $18.40 on the high.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate floors are a really great option if you love the look of wood but you don’t have the money for the budget. Laminate floors work a lot and look a lot like that of hardwood, but there are many other options available and they tend to be easier to install as well. You’ll see with the prices below, these are much cheaper than the hardwood floors mentioned above

Laminate is created by using MDF and then using a photographic image to adhere to the wood on the board. This is really nice because you can make it look like any material; not just wood. The cost for laminate flooring is quite low – around $1 to $3 per square foot of the material and only around $1.25 for the actual installation and labor. This is by far one of the most popular choices for flooring. But, you still need to take care of it like you would regular wood. Watch out for stains and spills, and look out for standing water. Standing water can ruin this entire flooring, so even though it is inexpensive, it could be a pain to reinstall it right after you had it installed. Primarily this is a good option for any room, even bathrooms, you just need to watch out for the water factor!